London – After being challenged by PETA’s legal team over a completely fabricated story alleging that PETA intended to pour animal blood on Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) because she uses exotic skins in her line of handbags, London newspaper the Daily Mirror has retracted the story, apologised to PETA, and agreed to pay damages and cover the group’s attorneys’ fees. The text of the retraction and apology follows:

Apology to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

On 19 October 2010, we published a story in the print and online editions of the Daily Mirror and on our 3am website stating that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were planning a protest against Victoria Beckham’s new range of bags which would include pouring fake blood over Mrs Beckham.

There was never any truth in this story which we retract completely. We apologise to PETA for the harm that our story has caused them. We have agreed to make a donation to PETA and to pay their legal costs.

“Victoria doesn’t need to be doused with ‘blood’ – she needs to spend five minutes watching PETA’s exposé showing alligators being beaten to death with baseball bats and snakes being skinned while they’re still conscious”, says PETA Managing Director Ingrid E Newkirk. “No kind person can watch animals struggle and fight for their lives like these animals do and still support such cruelty. We’re sure that Ms Beckham simply hasn’t seen the footage we sent her.”

The group sent Beckham, an outspoken opponent of the use of fur in fashion, a video showing how exotic animals suffer before they are turned into bags, shoes and belts – including how dying lizards writhe in agony after their skins are peeled off their bodies and how snakes’ heads are often nailed to trees before the animals are skinned alive.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation—a charitable company limited by guarantee, with its registered office at 125 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5AS. Registered in England and Wales as charity number 1056453, company number 3135903.